I use chartreuse-and-white clousers on floating line and often snag salmon on the tail or fins (like the most gear fishermen do) How to get them pick fly to the mouth and not snag? Use unweighted flies on sinking or intermediate line?
p.s. i'm talking about hoodsport kinda fishing

sean

11-12-2001 05:06 AM

Don't use clousers would be the first hint...

They are much too big for chum. I use flies down to size 8 and rarely anything larger than a 6. Chum candy or really anything you can think up that is chart. or cherise.

The key is small and cast ahead of the fish if possible. That will help with the snagging problem.

-sean

juro

11-12-2001 09:48 AM

I've always done well with animate wet fly patterns like the matuka bunny tied in chartruese or hot pink - the pink has been surprisingly effective especially when everyone else is throwing green. Marabou winged wet patterns do well too.

Bunny Leech

11-12-2001 06:55 PM

Those chum can drive you mad...casting in front of and into massive schools over and over with few solid takes... Sinktip, a friend and I had good luck there a week ago with patterns and tactics 10 yrs in the making.

First, the small sparse pattern advice is good. I usually use a #4 or #6 short shank stainless hook tied simply with chartruse or silver crystal flash. Tie in the crystal flash at the rear with a small tail, wrap it forward, and tie off a small wing to the rear. A good alteration is to build a small head of chartruse uni-yarn and wrap the crystal flash back over it in either a shell back or bullet head.

Second, these fish take the fly surprisingly subtly. You'll see them lazily schooling...they are not on a mad frenzy until spooked and they certainly aren't on a feeding binge like coho after herring. From a tactical standpoint a floating line with a 4-6' leader works well. Cast out and let the fly dangle and retrieve in very short and or slow pulls. When you feel your line jerk back on a retrieve resist all inclination to set the hook...it's likely fouled. The typical take is a slow steady pull...the fish lazily takes the fly and keeps swimming. I usually apply moderate pressure, try to get the line on the reel, and then focus on getting a good hook set. Their mouths are so hard you need about 80% luck to drive the hook in to a place where it will hold, but it's a dandy when it does! An amazing amount of fish take the fly when it is simply dangling or sinking.

The honest truth is that the folks hooking up over and over again down there are fouling the fish. And no matter how hard you try you'll foul them too. But by being mellow with the rod and waiting for the right feel, you'll increase the good hookups substantially!

Hang on!!!!

Eric

11-13-2001 12:15 PM

Nother thing: Just returned from a day's chummin in the Kilchis and Miami rivers. Hard finding fresh chums, but when we did find them, we had a wild time with the most active chums I've ever seen. My friend Rick hooked a hen that cartwheeled at least five times--orders of magnitude better display than typical. Yes, the fish was fair-hooked; others were almost as spectacular, but the creek (the Miami really flatters itself by calling itself a river) we were in didn't allow the fish to run much, so they mostly just jumped around in the timber.

The fish in both rivers were extremely skittish in the shallow, clear water. Although we saw hundreds of fish, we had very few fair hookups until we discovered a hole deep enough to hide resting fish. I think, as with most salmon, chums don't hit well when actively traveling. Mostly they seem hit only when resting and in a secure place (heavy riffle, deep hole). Contrary to the note above, we had excellent luck with large flies (No. 2), weighted, in chartreuse, fuchsia, what have you.

For the Tillamook area, it looks like the end of the run. Many, many fish were already covered with saprolegnia and actively spawning [yuck]. As I said, it was hard to find fresh fish, but when we finally did, we had a ball.

Cheers,

sean

11-13-2001 07:38 PM

another tip is to float your flies under a strike indicator and use a hand twist retrieve. Used this method yesterday and I think my partner and I only foul hooked 3 out of around 20 hook ups.

By using the indicator it really enables you to see the difference between a fish taking your fly or just bumping into to it.

Plus it gives you some extra practice for chironmid fishing next spring.

-sean

juro

12-03-2001 07:09 PM

Well Vic?

Did you do the chum doggy dog dance?

:)

MCorder

10-17-2002 01:05 PM

Chum Fly

1 Attachment(s)

Fly of the Month: Freakazoid

Notes: They say that a Rose by any other name is still a Rose; and if thats true then the Freakaziod is a simply a Woolly Bugger. But when I heard of, and saw the Freakaziod I knew that this was an Alaskan Salmon pattern that had to make Fly of the Month. The Freakazoid came from the creative mind of Tom Cloninger at Three Rivers Fly Shop in Wasilla. The story of the creation is that Tom decided to see what would happen if he took the three most effective colors on salmon flies and incorporated them into one of the most effective pattern styles. The results are a fly that the Chum salmon can't seem to keeps they're lips off. (Chum salmon are also known as Dog salmon for some obscure reason.) Chums are an underrated game fish that are aggressive to a fly and put up a heck of a (dog) fight. Here in south-central the Susitna drainage receives a run of Chums and they can be caught in July and August. Although, I do want to warn you that late in the season they are (dog) ugly and have a mouth full of teeth you'll need to avoid.

Anybody have had luck fishing the other beaches, not Hoodsport but maybe like Bush Point or similar or Pt Townsend area?

As far as getting a good hook set with Chums, try using a lighter wire hook and make sure its sharp. Maybe add bead chain to the head or lead eyes, if you can stand to cast them.
Another tip is when the water is low go sparse with your tying. And try hot cerise, like a single piece of hot cerise bunny strip not too long, just enough for movement.
Here is a pattern that has been good to me for chums.
Hook: light wire, short shank (like a gammy)
tail: hot cerise bunny strip
body: (optioinal) pink chennile
hackle: Hot pink
Head: bead chain or lead eyes
Fish it slow. And use a good real!;)

MCorder

10-19-2002 10:43 AM

The above pattern sounds good, but be carefull with the short shank, Chums tend to get a little toothy. Maybe adding a short light wire tippet or a short 40-60 ld. tippet in front of the fly.;)

Also, most of the Chums I've taken have been on the still portion of the retreave, while the fly is sinking.

aknightinak

10-22-2002 05:18 PM

Quote:

Chum salmon are also known as Dog salmon for some obscure reason.

2 reasons...not so obscure, I don't think.

One reason is the big, nasty canine teeth the males develop in freshwater. The other is that the fish has traditionally been harvested to feed sled dog teams through the winter.

skyrise

10-25-2002 04:00 PM

when you go for chum always carry long nose pliers or a hook release tool, ouch!
sorry about the spelling (reel).
of course this year you might need to bring your own water. :confused:
Lord give us rain, please.:(

aknightinak

10-31-2002 07:44 PM

Quote:

Lord give us rain, please.

Bring a bucket; come get all you want. My winter holes are still under flood warning and sure to be blown out through most of November. :( Ridiculous; we should be under at least 3 feet of snow by now.